“Weak. Did Tanner tell you I don’t think she’ll make it?”
“He told me. Is there anything I can do?”
“Tell me what you’re doing down here if there’s a ship on our heels.”
“Starboard bow,” Jordan corrected him. “I wanted to fight.”
“God! That would surely kill her.”
“That’s what Tanner said. He’s in charge at the moment. He’s going to try to outrun them.”
“A frigate?” Peters asked in amazement. “After the damage we’ve suffered?”
“A bloody frigate. And he’s not concerned about the damage.”
The ship tilted again and Peters reached out to secure Alexis before she rolled on her side. “Damn! She can’t take much more of this either. The slightest movement pulls at the stitches.”
Jordan looked down at Alexis’s side and saw a tiny circle of red widen on the sheet covering her. Peters threw the sheet aside and staunched the droplets forcing their way through the tiny stitches.
“Find some sheets and rip them in long strips,” he told Jordan, who was watching helplessly. “We’ll have to strap her to the bed. She can’t take this tossing.” His eyes lifted toward the noise overhead. “I hope he knows what he’s doing.”
Jordan began tearing the sheets. “There’s no one aboard with more to lose if he doesn’t.”
Peters nodded. “Peach was pretty rough on him. Blamed him for Captain Danty’s injuries.”
“Peach could not have been one tenth as rough on him as he is on himself.”
“I know. That’s why I sent them both out of here.”
Jordan handed Peters several strips of sheet and together they wound them around Alexis and the bed until Peters was satisfied she would not be tossed with the ship. Peters covered her again and for the first time since he had entered the cabin he moved away from her side. He glanced around the floor, found the bottle of brandy that had rolled away, and helped himself to its contents.
“Here.” He gave the bottle to Jordan. “Drink up. It dulls the pain.” He took the unused portion of the sheet and ripped it into smaller sections. These he dipped in water and used to wipe Alexis’s face free of perspiration and grime from the battle.
“Does she have a fever?” asked Jordan.
“Not yet. If she makes it through the night she’ll have to battle one later. I don’t think for one minute she’ll get through this without infection. Look on the table. That’s what I dug out of her. I can’t even be sure I have it all.”
Jordan walked to the table and examined the splinters. The largest was three inches long and almost an inch wide. There were two others almost as long and many smaller, equally lethal slivers. He grimaced.
“She would have been better off getting a dagger wound. It wouldn’t have done half the damage. At least it wouldn’t have left part of itself in her.” He replaced the cloth on her forehead with a fresh one. “For God’s sake, Jordan, have a seat. There’s nothing you can do that can’t be done sitting.” His gruffness had the effect of pushing Jordan into a chair. “That’s better. Now tell me what Tanner’s doing up there.”
“I told you. He’s going to outrun them.”
Peters smiled. “Told you he could do it, huh?”
“I don’t doubt it.”
“Neither do I, Mr. Jordan.” The ship heaved again but Peters observed with satisfaction that Alexis remained still. “Just hold on, Captain,” he murmured. “He says he can do it.”
An hour passed. Then another. Alexis clung tenaciously to life. Jordan and Peters took turns bathing her face and checking her wound. Above her Cloud was using every skill he had to keep theRaleighfrom gaining ground. After the first hour he had known there was little chance he could outrun the British vessel. His goal now was to maintain the distance separating them until dark, when he would attempt to lose them. He glanced at the sun. Almost noon. There was a curse and a prayer in his softly uttered sigh as he swung the wheel. His grip alternated between a stranglehold that threatened to break the spokes with its unrelenting pressure and a caress that urged theDark Ladyinto difficult maneuvers with its unrelenting coaxing.
Jordan observed this peculiar command of Cloud’s while on one of his visits topside to review their situation.
“Well?” Peters demanded when he returned.
“Tanner says the best he can do until dark is keep the ship at a safe distance.”
“Is he doing it?”
